Eternal Marriage

“Contract companions each give 50 percent; covenant companions each give 100 percent.”

Bruce C. Hafen

 In many marriages each spouse gives their half, splits things or sometimes say things like, my money, my car, my time. It seems like there is a mindset of 50/50. The world thinks that 50/50 is how a marriage is supposed to be to make things work, which makes sense. But we forget that 100/100 is really how it should be. I am 100 percent my husbands and he is 100 mine. We share everything 100 percent whether physical items or not. I give him 100 percent of my feelings, whatever time we spend is our time and we decide how to use it, we share our money and belongings. We give everything and all that we are and have to each other with no reservations. That sounds so cheesy but that’s how it is!

I also liked what Parley P. Pratt said about the blessings of doctrinal ideal marriage. He said, “I had loved before, but I knew not why. But now I loved—with a pureness—an intensity of elevated, exalted feeling, which would lift my soul from the transitory things of this groveling sphere and expand it as the ocean. … In short, I could now love with the spirit and with the understanding also.” Eternal marriage definitely takes our marriage to another, complete level as we see the bigger picture and importance of marriage. To me knowing the eternal perspective of marriage, makes me want to work on marriage that much harder. I remember how sacred it is when times are hard. Marriage is not something to only get us through this life. It lasts through time and eternity. Knowing that also made me choose my spouse carefully. Marriage was something I took seriously and knew I wanted it to last with someone who felt the same way as I did about marriage. In my own marriage I have felt the same things Parley P. Pratt described.